1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to multi-computer transfer of data. More particularly the invention relates to transactional deployment of data across multiple machines.
2. Description of Related Art
Today's economic pressures are forcing IT management to identify and eliminate redundant, customized, inefficient processes that exist within their businesses. One area of inefficiency that has been discovered in today's increasingly complex web-based application environment is the code and content distribution process.
Hidden within nearly every web application, from development, through QA, to a live, production environment is a set of manually developed distribution processes that are often unsecured, expensive to maintain, and difficult to scale.
Home-grown distribution processes are typically based on FTP (file transfer protocol), a mechanism for exchanging files between servers over the Internet. For example, J. White, Portable and dynamic distributed transaction management method, U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,710 (Sep. 5, 2000) describes a distributed application architecture that includes a user interface for use by an application developer to construct executable application load modules for each system on which an application will reside. Transfer of load modules occurs by way of a conventional FTP (file transfer protocol) application. Although FTP is an ideal point-to-point utility, the tool must be configured or customized each time a new target destination or content origination point is identified. This customization can be labor-intensive, and in the long run, it drives up the total cost of ownership of any web-based application relying on FTP for distribution because of the need to manage and maintain each customization individually.
The Open Source movement has generated a handful of tools to help address the distribution challenge. RSYNC, a utility providing fast, incremental file transfer, is one such tool. While RSYNC is a more sophisticated tool than standard FTP, it lacks built-in encryption and authorization to meet security requirements; it does not provide an easy means of integrating the distribution process with other applications, and it is difficult to scale.
Software products also often come with some minimal set of proprietary distribution tools. One example is the SITESERVER product (MICROSOFT CORPORATION, Redmond Wash.), which featured CONTENT REPLICATION SERVER (CRS) technology. Technologies such as CRS offer adequate distribution capacity within their respective environments, but they offer little value in distributed, multi-application and multi-platform environments
The art provides additional examples of content distribution. For example, M. Muyres, J. Rigler, J. Williams, Client content management and distribution system, United States Patent Application Pub. No. US 2001/0010046 (filed Mar. 1, 2001, published Nov. 28, 2002) describe a digital content vending machine and methods for distributing content to and managing content on the machine. What is described is an e-commerce application wherein single copies of selected digital assets are distributed to single clients in response to a purchase request from a user.
P. Brittenham, D. Davis, D. Lindquist, A. Wesley, Dynamic deployment of services in a computing network, United States Patent Application Pub. No. US 2002/0178254 (filed May 23, 2001, published Nov. 28, 2002) and P. Brittenham, D. Davis, D. Lindquist, A. Wesley, Dynamic redeployment of services in a computing network, United States Patent Application Pub. No. US 2002/0178244 (filed May 23, 2001, published Nov. 28, 2002) describe methods and systems for dynamically deploying and redeploying services, such as web services, in a computer network. Conditions such as usage metrics for incoming requests are used to trigger dynamic deployment of web services to locations in the network to improve network efficiency.
C. Pace, P. Pizzorni, D. DeForest, S. Chen, Method and system for deploying an asset over a multi-tiered network, United States Patent Application Pub. No. US 2003/0051066 (filed Sep. 4, 2001, published Mar. 13, 2003) and C. Pace, P. Pizzorni, D. DeForest, S. Chen, Method and system for deploying an asset over a multi-tiered network, United States Patent Application Pub. No. US 2003/0078958 (filed Sep. 4, 2001, published Apr. 24, 2003) describe a system for deploying digital assets wherein an asset may represent network and/or application components (e.g., data, objects, applications, program modules, etc.) that may be distributed among the various resources of the network. In one embodiment, a target node's environment may be adjusted before an asset is deployed to that target node. In an alternative embodiment, a target deployment adapter, associated with the asset, may be selected and deployed with the asset in order to allow the asset to operate in the target node environment.
While the above examples describe various aspects of content distribution, none contemplates automated, transactional distribution of any type of digital asset in which assets managed in any type of repository or file system are deployed to all touch points across an enterprise. Furthermore, none contemplate parallel deployments, routed deployments, multi-tiered deployments and reverse deployments. None contemplates security options that include security of communications between machines and data integrity.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for an efficient means of content distribution that disseminates the appropriate content to the right parties and places at the right time. It would be advantageous for such to maintain integrity of the deployed content by keeping content synchronized while distributing from multiple management systems to multiple network destinations in parallel, routed, multi-tiered and reverse deployments. It would also be advantageous if such were scalable and capable of protecting the deployed content from unauthorized access.